Two people were rescued from a burning flat by firefighters this morning.

Fire crews were called to Roberts Road in the city centre just before 6am after smoke was seen billowing from the window of a second-storey flat.

Two residents were inside the burning flat and firefighters used ladders to get the pair to safety. 

The fire service has confirmed that a stairwell fuse box had caused the blaze.

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A Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: "Crews from St Mary’s and Hightown were alerted shortly before 6am to the incident on Roberts Road.

"Fire engines arrived to find smoke issuing from a second floor flat and used ladders to bring two residents to safety.

"Wearing breathing apparatus, firefighters used hose reels to extinguish the fire in stairwell fuse box.

"The rescued residents were passed to SCAS paramedics for assessment.

"The electricity board isolated the supply to the building before the incident was handed over to the building’s owner.

"HIWFRS left the scene and returned to station at around half eight."